Every sewer seems to have their own arsenal of stitches and tricks—collected over a lifetime of both practice and study. Over the course of her career in fashion and textile art (as well as her own personal mending projects), Joy Mao has identified a selection of hand-sewing stitches that have proved most useful for common cases of mending: patching up holes, taking up hems, replacing or reinforcing threadbare areas. This class aims to provide a foundational overview of hand-sewing techniques that will inspire and empower students to tackle all their mending projects to come.

Date
Sunday, October 4th, 2026

Time
11:00-1:30 pm ET

Location
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants the day before class

Cost
$75

Recording

All Mending Series sessions will be recorded. A link to each recording will be emailed to all registrants following the live session. Each link is live for three months after the live session.

Class Materials

• One scrap of plain medium-weight woven fabric, approximately 10 x 10 inches
• Hand sewing needle
• Thread or embroidery floss that fits your needle
• Snips
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Optional: Wax for wicking thread & thimble if using thick fabric

About the Mending Series

This series explores mending as both a practical skill and a thoughtful act of care, encouraging creative expression, environmental consciousness, and gratitude for the garments that hold meaning in our lives. Students will learn technical approaches to repairing a wide range of textiles from practicing artists and teachers, while exploring increasingly specialized mending techniques. Stitchers of all experience levels are welcome to join for part or all of the series.

Scholarships

We have one scholarship seat available for this workshop. To be considered for a scholarship, please fill out this scholarship application form.